1-ONCE
YOU ARE SAVED,THERE IS A BATTLE TO BE FOUGHT: IT
IS CALLED SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Yet
despite Satanís vast arsenal of devices and deceptions, a few, by the grace
of God, come to Jesus when "He" calls. They come by faith and surrender
all to Jesus. They follow Him. They have overcome the many devices and deceptions
of the devil by the mercy of God through faith.
Now they face a new battle. Satan can be expected to attack
the new Christian in ways that do not even come to his mind. As it is written,
BELOVED, THINK IT NOT STRANGE (do not be surprised) CONCERNING THE FIERY (or
painful) TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY (or test) YOU, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED
UNTO YOU: BUT REJOICE, INASMUCH AS YE ARE PARTAKERS OF CHRISTíS SUFFERINGS;
THAT, WHEN HIS GLORY SHALL BE REVEALED, YE MAY BE GLAD ALSO WITH EXCEEDING JOY.
IF YE BE REPROACHED (or insulted) FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, HAPPY ARE YE; FOR
THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTETH UPON YOU: ON THEIR PART HE IS EVIL SPOKEN
OF, BUT ON YOUR PART HE IS GLORIFIED-1 Pe 4:12-14.
This fiery trial or battle that a person goes through is
called "spiritual warfare."

We
are in a spiritual battle, a spiritual war, a spiritual fight, a spiritual wrestling
match, a spiritual struggle.THEREFORE ENDURE HARDNESS
(or hardship), AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST. NO MAN THAT WARRETH ENTANGLETH
HIMSELF WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE (or civilian affairs); THAT HE MAY PLEASE
HIM WHO HATH CHOSEN HIM TO BE A SOLDIER-2 Tim 2:3,4. As a follower of Jesus
Christ, you are a soldier. You are in a war. That war is against Satan. It is
against the forces of darkness.This battle never ends until
we die. If we are on Satanís side, the Lord may deal with us to get us to repent.
If we are on the Lordís side, Satan tries to cause us to fall, as the SOW THAT
WAS WASHED...returned TO HER WALLOWING IN THE MIRE-2 Pe 2:22. Do not underestimate
Satan and his powers to deceive. As it is written, BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT
(be on your guard, be alert); BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING
LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR-1 Pe 5:8.Do not underestimate Satan
and his powers of deception. His ability to put obstacles in your path is great.
He deceives some that are going to hell into believing there is no hope. He
also deceives others that are going to hell into believing they are really going
to heaven. Those that are saved, Satan often tries to deceive them into thinking
they are not.

An
army that is going to war that teaches nothing but victory, health, and success
will lose the war. An army that is prepared for the battle will win. The army
needs to know about the enemy; they need to know who the enemy
is. The army needs to know how the enemy will attack and what
weapons he will attack with. The army needs to know when the enemy will
attack and from where, and to be ready at all times. The army needs to
know, if they get wounded, what they must do to get healed. The army
needs to know, if they get captured, what they must do to get free. The
army must know what weapons they have available and how to use
them. This comes from first being trained, then practice, and finally engaging
the enemy, and on to victory.All facets of warfare must
be taught and practiced, lest the enemy gain an advantage and win the war. We
need to know who the enemy is and all there is to know about him, his tactics,
and his capabilities. We also need to know our own weapons and capabilities.
We need to know the consequences of surrender to the enemy. We need to know
when to use our weapons and when not to. We need to be ever vigilant, for our
enemy the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour or conquer.A person that is never taught
about the battle he is in will probably lose. A person that is taught nothing
but victory, success, health, and prosperity will go forth with great zeal but
little knowledge. He will be unprepared for the onslaught of the enemy. You
may go forth with the most advanced and powerful weapons, but these are of little
value, if the enemy successfully sneaks up behind you and takes you by surprise.
This is exactly what the enemy is planning to do.Jesus had the victory, but
do you? Will you hold firm to the end, or will you fall into Satanís cunning
deceit working in your mind? Will you be defeated and never realize it till
the judgment? Beware, lest it happen so slowly that you never recognize you
are backsliding. THROUGH KNOWLEDGE SHALL THE JUST BE DELIVERED-Pv 11:9. "MY
PEOPLE" ARE GONE INTO CAPTIVITY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE...THEREFORE
HELL HATH ENLARGED HERSELF-Isa 5:13,14.Beware. Satan will try to
keep you from reading your Bible, as it is your spiritual warfare instruction
manual. It covers everything you need to know. Read it, study it, hear it, meditate
on it, and obey it.

There is strife between people in the churches
today. There are battles between the
preachers and elders. There are arguments in Bible studies and in church business
and planning meetings. What is going on?

The battle inside you rages.
Once you are saved, there shall be a battle fought inside you. It is a battle
between the forces of darkness (Satanís realm) and the forces of light (Jesus
is light). It shall be a battle of victory to those who overcome all things
through faith. It will be a battle of defeat to those who do not obey Godís
Word.This battle will rage in your
mind, in your feelings or emotions, and in your flesh. If you are unsaved, things
may happen to you for the purpose of bringing you to repentance. If you are
about to be saved, you may feel like you are being torn apart. You may feel
like a rope is pulling on one arm to go in a certain direction, and another
rope is pulling on the other arm in the opposite direction; you are in the middle
being torn apart. Jesus wants you to repent and follow Him. Satan wants you
to refuse. It is a battle for your soul.If you submit to Satan, you
will probably grow harder toward God. Sin hardens a person against God and against
His Word. Yet the war will go on. If you submit to God, then Satan will keep
trying to pull you back into sin. The battle will rage inside you. Because of
events stemming from this battle, many turn to drugs and alcohol, instead of
to God. For those who submit to God, He gives them His Spirit and power to overcome
evil. GREATER IS HE (Godís Spirit) THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE (Satan) THAT IS IN
THE WORLD-1 Jn 4:4. Till the day you die (or are raptured), this battle can
be expected to continue for your soul. The conflict inside you, at times, may
seem almost unbearable, but do not give up or despair. For the Lord Jesus said,
THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOU, THAT IN ME YE MIGHT HAVE PEACE. IN THE
WORLD YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD-Jn
16:33.There may be four people.
One may say no to the claims of Christ. The other three say, yes. Of those three
that say yes, one may fall as a result of persecutions, embarrassment, false
doctrines, or wrong thinking. Another may begin to crumble as the cares, pleasures,
lusts, and deceitfulness of riches hinder him. Only one may grow and bear good
fruitófruit that will remain. Yet it is written, THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION
TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER
YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO
MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT-1 Cor 10:13.Of those that forsake the
right way, some will turn on their fellow servants and verbally abuse them and
worse. Their countenance will change. Their joy in the Lord disappears. They
may become angry, determined, and rebellious. You can see it on their faces,
but Satan may have convinced them in their minds that they have not fallen or
that they cannot fall. They will usually justify their bad attitude by pointing
fingers at others.A woman may say, "My
life is torn apart. What is happening to me? Iím frustrated. My family is falling
apart. My children are out of control. My husbandís job is in jeopardy. It seems
everything is going wrong." What is happening is, we are in a spiritual
war.We need to look at Godís Word
and see what spiritual warfare is, in order to understand what is happening
to us. The Bible shows that spiritual warfare is between God and Satan. This
began when Satan said, "I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, I WILL EXALT MY THRONE
ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD"-Isa 14:13. He was actually seeking to dethrone
God. Yet God tells us that Satan will be BROUGHT DOWN TO HELL-Isa 14:15.The deceptive powers of Satan
are so great, that one-third of the angels of heaven followed him. This spiritual
conflict between God and Satan goes on today. You are involved. You cannot get
away from it. There is no place you can go to get out of this battle. You cannot
withdraw. If you withdraw from God, you go into Satanís territory. There is
no neutral ground. You are either in the battle on Godís side, or you are in
the battle on Satanís side. Satan is so expert in deceiving people that they
do not even realize they are in a battle at all. Why? It is because most people
know very little of what the Bible says, or they do not believe what the Bible
says. This includes priests, rabbi and preachers. As it is written, HE THAT
IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME-Mt 12:30.If you are a fruitful, born-again
Christian, whose light is shining, you are under attack because you represent
Jesus Christ.If you are carnal (or worldly),
lukewarm, and like a wave in your walk with Jesus, you are on very dangerous
ground. When people remain depressed a great deal, whether they are a Christian
or not, this shows that their fellowship with God is broken.Satan attacks you, trying
to get at God. But remember, SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE TO GOD.
RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW NIGH TO GOD,
AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU. CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, YE SINNERS; AND PURIFY
YOUR HEARTS, YE DOUBLE-MINDED. BE AFFLICTED, AND MOURN, AND WEEP: LET YOUR
LAUGHTER BE TURNED TO MOURNING, AND YOUR JOY TO HEAVINESS. "HUMBLE"
YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP-Ja 4:7-10.
BUT SEEK YE "FIRST" THEKINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS;
AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU-Mt 6:33. THE BATTLE IS THE LORDíS-1
Sam 17:47. To be on Godís side is to be on the winning side.

When the battle moves on the inside of you,
then you need to purge yourself. You need to move the battle back to the outside,
so you can have victory on the inside. Dwell in Godís Word. Obey Godís Word.
Keep your mind and focus upon Jesus. It is written, THOU WILT KEEP HIM IN PERFECT
PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE: BECAUSE HE TRUSTETH IN THEE-Isa 26:3.

Consider fasting
for 7, 10, 14, 21, or 40 days as God guides you. Also consider
fasting two half days or one full day a week. When fasting for several days,
get alone into seclusion. Study Godís Word and pray. Absolutely no television
or radio. It is a time to draw closer to God. Those big fiery darts or uptight
knots in your stomach should leave toward the end of a seven day fast. Eat no
food at all. Drink lots of water only, preferably bottled water. Consider doing
this at least once a year. If you have any special medical problems, consult
a doctor (preferably born-again) before fasting. Consult your born-again pastor
before fasting as he should be able to give you good advice, because he surely
would have done much fasting himself. In doing a very long fast such as 21 or
40 days, it might be helpful to consult someone that has done this himself so
he can give you good advice.When coming off a fast of
3 or more days, do not eat a big meal but possibly a little soup and bread.
Then eat again about two or three hours later another light meal. After this
you should be able to resume normal eating. Expect Satan to try and stop you
from fasting for 7 or more days as it helps break his power over you. Expect
to have dreams of eating food. A 7 day fast is something you might consider
doing once a year. Before attempting a 10 day fast, do 7 days. If you would
be one of the few that senses God calling you to do a 40 day fast, be sure to
do a 10 day first. Then a year later you might consider a 40 day.Only a small percentage of
born-again Christians have ever done a 40 day fast.Again, we state, in all cases
of fasting 3 or more days, consult your born-again pastor as he should be able
to give you good advice on what to expect from his own experiences.The devil is a military strategist.
He has his schemes to wage spiritual war. He has been at this for a very long
time. He has a plan for the overthrow of God, for the overthrow of Jesus Christ,
and for the overthrow of every believer in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do not underestimate the enemy, "Satan."
Do not think he is haphazard in his plan and his effort. He has a plan, and
he is out to make it work. But God has told us through the Scriptures, WE ARE
NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES-2 Cor 2:11. God has given us this knowledge in the
Scriptures so we can fight a good warfare and come out victorious.

The
Bible describes this battle as a conflict between truth and error. It began
with Adam and Eve. Satan deceived Eve with, "HATH GOD SAID?" Eve responded.
Then Satan told her that God was not telling her the truth, or God did not mean
what He said. You shall not surely die.

It
is between the clear Word of God and anything that conflicts with it.It is between
the clear Word of God and the wrong thinking you have.It is between the clear Word
of God and your emotions.It is between the clear Word
of God and your flesh.It is between the clear Word
of God and your circumstances.It is between the clear Word
of God and your personal needs and desires.It is between the clear Word
of God and lusts, cares of this life, pleasures of this life, and the deceitfulness
of riches.It is between the clear Word
of God and things your family, boss, fellow workers, friends, and other people
say to you or ask you to do. BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKETH NOT IN THE COUNSEL
OF THE UNGODLY-Ps 1:1.It is between the clear Word
of God and the traditions of men.It is between doing "Godís
will" and between doing "your will."It is between Godís will for
you and your own will.It is between the clear Word
of God and the voices or thoughts you hear in your mind, which contradict Godís
clear Word. These voicesówhich you may think are your ownóare really from Satan.This conflict is between the
true God and the god of this world. You are in the middle of this spiritual
battle. People need to understand that our time on this earth is a time of testing.
You are being tested to see if you will obey God or not. You are being tested
to see if your faith is genuine. Yet Satan will do what he can to persuade you
that it is not a test of obedience. He may even try to persuade you that Godís
Word does not even apply to your situation. Satan puts lying thoughts in your
mind. Your understanding of Godís Word will manifest itself by what you do.You will hear Godís truth.
You will hear Satanís lies. You are the battle ground. You need the Holy Spirit,
for He will lead you into all truth. That truth will "always" be in
harmony with Godís Word.Measure every message you
hear by the Word of God.Measure every thought you
have by the Word of God.Measure every thing you say
and do by the Word of God.It is the Word of God that
will judge you at the judgment. Your excuses of why you did not obey God will
not hold up then.

5-TEMPTATIONS

Ja
1:2-MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YE FALL INTO DIVERS TEMPTATIONS;3-KNOWING THIS, THAT THE TRYING
OF YOUR FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE.4-BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE HER
PERFECT WORK, THAT YE MAY BE PERFECT AND ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING.12-BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT
ENDURETH TEMPTATION: FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE,
WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM.13-LET NO MAN SAY WHEN HE
IS TEMPTED, I AM TEMPTED OF GOD: FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED WITH EVIL, NEITHER
TEMPTETH HE ANY MAN:14-BUT EVERY MAN IS TEMPTED,
WHEN HE IS DRAWN AWAY OF HIS OWN LUST, AND ENTICED.15-THEN WHEN LUST HATH CONCEIVED,
IT BRINGETH FORTH SIN: AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FINISHED, BRINGETH FORTH DEATH.16-DO NOT ERR, MY BELOVED
BRETHREN.22-BUT BE YE DOERS OF THE
WORD, AND NOT HEARERS ONLY, DECEIVING YOUR OWN SELVES.

6-TEMPTATIONS
COME FROM SATAN

Satan
is called the tempter. It is written, AND WHEN THE TEMPTER (or Satan) CAME TO
HIM-Mt 4:3. Satan will tempt you or trick you to disobey God. Jesus was LED
UP...TO BE TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL-Mt 4:1. Satan wants to cause you to fall. It
is written, LEST BY SOME MEANS THE TEMPTER HAVE TEMPTED YOU, AND OUR LABOR BE
IN VAIN-1 Thes 3:5. Often his temptations come like they did on Eve. It is very
subtle. It is a very small temptation. It involves just a little disobedience.
The disobedience or temptation may prompt you to do something that is so insignificant,
you do not even consider it as a temptation or a test. Once you disobey or listen
to a little thing, then a little bigger temptation should follow later. Satan
tempts you in very subtle ways, because he knows if you recognize the temptation
as it really is that you should resist it and not give in. Giving in to a little
temptation can result in a little blindness. Then it can grow and grow until
total darkness sets in. Beware of Satanís devices. You cannot say you did not
know.

THE
PHARISEES...CAME, AND TEMPTING (Him) DESIRED HIM THAT HE WOULD SHOW THEM A SIGN
FROM HEAVEN-Mt 16:1.THE PHARISEES...CAME...TEMPTING
HIM...SAYING...IS IT LAWFUL FOR A MAN TO PUT AWAY HIS WIFE FOR EVERY CAUSE?-Mt
19:3.ONE OF THEM...ASKED HIM A
QUESTION, TEMPTING HIM-Mt 22:35.THIS THEY SAID, TEMPTING HIM,
THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ACCUSE HIM-Jn 8:6.Beware, for it is written,
NEITHER LET US TEMPT CHRIST, AS SOME OF THEM ALSO TEMPTED, AND WERE DESTROYED
OF SERPENTS-1 Cor 10:9.Satan will tempt you through
people such as your wife or husband, your children, your parents, your relatives,
your boss, your fellow workers, your children or your teachers in schools or
colleges, your friends, and other people. The bottom line of these temptations
is to try to cause you to disobey God in some way (even in something very minute)
that will ultimately lead to more disobedience later. And through your example
of disobedience, someone else may be tempted and fall. Be an example of Christ
in "every" way.

These
are the natural lusts of the flesh, but often prompted by Satan. Again, these
temptations may be small even insignificant in the beginning, but as you give
in to sin, it can increase more and more.

As
it is written, OUR FATHER...LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION-Mt 6:9,13. Jesus tells
us to WATCH AND PRAY, THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION-Mt 26:41. Why then would
we be so foolish as to lead ourselves into temptations?

Consider the following. A person is married. A pretty girl or a good-looking
guy lives on a road that is on the way the person travels to work. They have
a choice to take another way or take the way that leads them into temptation.Are you a "chocolate
eclair" Christian? A chocolate eclair is a delicious cream-filled type
of donut (or pastry) with chocolate frosting, but it is very fattening. Now
a person who is overweight knows they should not eat chocolate eclairs. They
may pray to God, "God, lead me not into temptation." Then one day
they pass a bakery shop that sells these chocolate eclairs. They walk in only
to look. Then they decide to buy some, but they promise themselves they will
not eat them. They take a box of them home and put it in the refrigerator, but
they are determined they will not eat them. Every time they walk by the refrigerator,
they think of those delicious chocolate eclairs. Every time they open the door
to the refrigerator, they can see these delicious chocolate eclairs just waiting
to be eaten and enjoyed. As a couple days pass, the thought comes into their
mind, "You better eat them soon, or they will go bad." Finally, the
temptation becomes too much. The person runs to the refrigerator, opens the
door and eats just one. But then it was so delicious, they eat another and another.Are you a "chocolate
eclair" Christian, who prays to God, "Lead me not into temptation,"
but then you lead yourself into temptation by being disobedient to Godís Word
in some way?Do you go places you should
not go and, as a result, lead yourself into temptation? When you arrive, Satan
is waiting for you.Do you associate with people
that you should not associate with and, as a result, lead yourself into temptation?
When you do, Satan is waiting for you.Do you do things you should
not do and, as a result, lead yourself into temptation? When you do, Satan is
waiting for you.It is written, NEITHER GIVE
PLACE TO THE DEVIL-Eph 4:27. Do you disobey this command, yet ask God not to
lead you into temptation? Are you a stubborn and rebellious person when it comes
to obeying Godís Word? It is written, FOR REBELLION IS AS THE SIN OF WITCHCRAFT,
AND STUBBORNNESS IS AS INIQUITY AND IDOLATRY-1 Sam 15:23. AN EVIL MAN SEEKETH
ONLY REBELLION-Pv 17:11.

It is written, GOD DID TEMPT (or test) ABRAHAM-Gen 22:1. As a result of the
temptation, Abraham and his seed became a blessing to all nations of the earth,
because he obeyed the voice of the Lord-Gen 22:18. When God tries us, He does
not give us all the answers. He simply says, "This is the way, walk ye
in it." He says, "Climb that mountain. Make that sacrifice."
You may be in pain and agony for what you are going through. Your soul may be
troubled, but you obey God. The testings of God are to prove your faith genuine,
enabling you to come out of it stronger than before. Stay with God and in His
will, no matter how you hurt on the inside, no matter what the pain.It is written, THERE HATH
NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO
WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; BUT WILL WITH THE
TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT-1 Cor 10:13.

12-WE
TEMPT GOD

God forbid, then there are times when we tempt God. It is written, THEY TEMPTED
THE LORD, SAYING, IS THE LORD AMONG US, OR NOT?-Ex 17:7. The people said, WOULD
GOD WE HAD DIED IN THIS WILDERNESS! God said, these men HAVE TEMPTED ME NOW
THESE TEN TIMES, AND HAVE NOT HEARKENED TO MY VOICE-Num 14:2,22. THEY TEMPTED
GOD IN THEIR HEART BY ASKING MEAT FOR THEIR LUST-Ps 78:18.Beware, as it is written,
NEITHER LET US TEMPT CHRIST, AS SOME OF THEM ALSO TEMPTED, AND WERE DESTROYED
OF SERPENTS-1 Cor 10:9.

13-THE
EARTH IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD

The
battle begins in your mind. BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY MEMBERS, WARRING AGAINST
THE LAW OF MY MIND-Ro 7:23. Rev 20:2,3 shows that deception comes from the devil.
A battle rages in your thoughts. Your flesh, your feelings, and your thoughts
may all say to turn aside from the right way, but you need to obey God. You
need to learn to discipline your mind, to bring your thoughts in line with the
Bible. CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTETH ITSELF
AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE
OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST-2 Cor 10:5.

14-TEMPTATIONS
IN OUR MIND

Jesus struggled in His mind hours before He was crucified. Jesus prayed, O MY
FATHER, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME: NEVERTHELESS NOT AS I
WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT-Mt 26:39. AND BEING IN AN AGONY HE PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY:
AND HIS SWEAT WAS AS IT WERE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND-Lk
22:44. Here was the conflict. Satan wanted Him to say He would not obey God,
but Jesus said, NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE-Lk 22:42. Jesus went to the
cross. You must go to the cross and crucify your desires, your will, and your
flesh; you must begin living in Godís will.Satan will lie to your mind
(or put thoughts in your mind), that you must not do this or that, or you must
do this or that. Satan may say, "You must leave that Bible-teaching church,
or that Bible school, or that Bible study, or you must move away. You must not
listen to the correction of that spiritual Christian who is coming to speak
to you. He can never understand your problem. You must work on the Lordís day,
and forsake going to church. Your finances are so bad, youíll never pay your
bills unless you work." Satan will lie to a person in his mind, and say,
"You must, you must, you must." Your emotions may rise as they also
say, "You must, you must, you must." Satan will contradict Godís Word
in your thoughts. You need to let God take charge of your mind. Bring your thoughts
into harmony with the Gospel. Read and obey Godís Word..

15-TEMPTATIONS
IN SOLITARY PLACES

Another place Satan wages his battle is in solitary places. He gets you alone,
apart from spiritual Christians. It is written, in Ecc 4:10, BUT WOE TO HIM
THAT IS ALONE WHEN HE FALLETH; FOR HE HATH NOT ANOTHER TO HELP HIM UP. He likes
to tempt you in the darkness of the night. He may tell you that youíre a fool
for doing those things God has led you to do. He sows doubt. He may tell you
not to go to that church service or Bible study. Remember: Job was tempted at
home; Paul was tempted in prison; and Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. In
solitary places, Satan also wages his war.Whenever you go somewhere
that is not in Godís will, Satan can be expected to be waiting for you. Whenever
you go to a place to fulfill Godís will, you may be joyful and excited, but
donít forget: Satan can be expected to confront you. He may try to stop you
from going. He may try to stop you during your trip. He may confront you when
you arrive and while you are there.

16-THE
CARNAL OR WORLDLY LIFESTYLE

This
lifestyle is very vulnerable to spiritual warfare. When a Christian is carnal,
he still thinks of ways to satisfy the desires of the flesh. He may be either
a newborn babe in Christ, a long-time Christian that has not grown much in Christ,
or a backslidden Christian. He has ambitions that are not Godís will for him.
It is when you are in this carnal state, that you may fall. You may come to
"spiritual indifference." You may say, "I donít care anymore."
You may be at ease in Zion, as was spoken by Amos the prophet. You may have
a spiritual attitude of, "Donít count on me. Iím not getting involved.
Let someone else do it." This indifference can cause you to fall. Beware
of Satanís cunning devices. He tries to wear a person down day by day, and they
wither away-ref Mk 4:6. He may wear them down and then, at their weakest point,
tempt them with something they are very susceptible to. Then they may fall.

17-BEWARE
OF STUBBORNNESS AND SELF-CONFIDENCE

A person must become totally unyielding to Satan, the temptations of this world,
and the flesh, but must remain totally yielded unto the Lord Jesus Christ. When
you become stubborn to Godís will, you provoke God. Stubbornness makes you susceptible
to Satan, and you may fall.Beware of self-confidence.
It is written, WE...HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH-Phili 3:3. Beware of an
attitude of, "I can make it on my own. I am a self-made man." Your
confidence needs to be placed in Christ. When fighting Satan, if your feet are
not firmly planted on the "Rock," you may fall. Beware of humanistic,
self- confidence. FOR WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN-Ro 14:23.

18-BEWARE
OF HAVING TO FIGHT THE DEVIL ON TWO FRONTS

One of the tactics in warfare is to divide the enemy, to cause him to divide
up his forces in order to fight in two or three areas at the same time; thus,
he becomes weaker in each area. Then the enemy will determine which of the areas
is the weakest and concentrate all his power at that weakest point. We might
say, divide and conquer. Many Christians are trying to fight Satan on the front
lines, while they are struggling with guilt, fear, misgivings, unbelief, and
not dealing with their own problems. As long as you do this, you may meet one
defeat after another. You need inner peace.You may be asked a tempting
question. Before you can even answer, someone else hits you with another tempting
question, and before you can answer, yet another person asks you a tempting
question. Confusion sets in, and you may speak something wrong and trap yourself.
Satan seeks to confuse, then divide and conquer. Be slow to speak. When Jesus
was tempted with lying accusations, He sometimes answered nothing.

19-"I
DONíT SEE IT THAT WAY"

"WARNING, WARNING, WARNING," if you have an apathetic attitude when
you are being corrected by Godís Word (regarding something in your spiritual
walk that is not right). Beware, if you say to yourself, "Itís not so bad,"
or "It will all work out all right, donít worry." If you do this,
you are on very dangerous ground. Someone might warn you not to go here or there,
which is in harmony with Godís Word, but you believe it will be all right. You
have an indifferent attitude. So you go, fully persuaded nothing will happen.
Then an unexpected accident happens; your vehicle is smashed. You are hospitalized,
or permanently injured, or some other thing happens that had not even entered
your mind. The unexpected happened. You chose to ignore Godís warning. You did
not have Godís protection; you gave a place to the devil to attack you, because
you were in disobedience to Godís Word.Little did Israel suspect,
when they brought up an evil report, that it would cause them to have to wander
in the wilderness for forty years. Later on, Israel would not follow Godís ways.
They were warned, but they chose to take an attitude of, "It will be all
right." They were wrong. Little did they suspect that their nation would
be destroyed. Little did they suspect that they would be carried away captive.
Little did the rich man suspect that he would be in hell, in Luke chapter 16.
Little did Ananias and Sapphira suspect that they would be struck dead for lying,
in Acts chapter 5. When a person chooses to disobey God, even in something small,
he is giving a place to Satan to attack him. Neither does Satan put in the person's
mind how he plans to attack him. Disobedience brings judgment, and MERCY REJOICETH
AGAINST JUDGMENT-Ja 2:13.

Godís
Word tells us we are in a spiritual battle: a war, a fight, a wrestling match.
This battle rages in our mind, in our flesh, and through our feelings.

21-THE
WAR OR BATTLE RAGES IN OUR MIND

BUT I SEE ANOTHER "LAW" IN MY MEMBERS, WARRING (or waging war)
AGAINST THE "LAW" OF MY MIND, AND BRINGING ME INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE
LAW OF SIN WHICH IS IN MY MEMBERS-Ro 7:23. Note the words, MEMBERS, WARRING
AGAINST...MIND. A battle, a war, a conflict is going on in our thoughts. Satan
puts lying thoughts in our mind. Our defense is to know, understand, and obey
Godís Word. You need to be TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND-Ro 12:2.
For ONCE YOU WERE ALIENATED FROM GOD AND WERE ENEMIES IN YOUR MINDS BECAUSE
OF YOUR EVIL BEHAVIOR-Col 1:21 NIV. WHEREIN IN TIME PAST YE WALKED ACCORDING
TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR,
THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE: AMONG WHOM ALSO
WE ALL HAD OUR CONVERSATION IN TIMES PAST IN THE LUSTS OF OUR FLESH, FULFILLING
THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH AND OF THE MIND; AND WERE BY NATURE THE CHILDREN OF
WRATH, EVEN AS OTHERS-Eph 2:2,3. In the past, prior to submitting to God, you
were enemies against God; your behavior was evil. You fulfilled the desires
of the flesh and mind. But now, you have become transformed and renewed in your
thinking. Again, the Bible describes a battle going on in your thoughts. The
outcome should be a transformation taking place in your thinking. That transformation
is from worldly, carnal, doubtful thinking, to thinking that is in line with
Godís Word, even as the "mind of Christ." For the CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY
AGAINST GOD: FOR IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD (or Godís Word), NEITHER
INDEED CAN BE-Ro 8:7. FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; BUT TO BE SPIRITUALLY
MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE-Ro 8:6.The war rages in your mind.
It is a war between a worldly mind, as opposed to a spiritual, Christ-centered
mind. It is a war between truth and error, between right and wrong, between
the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean. God commands the
Christian, PUT OFF CONCERNING...THE OLD MAN, WHICH IS CORRUPT ACCORDING TO THE
DECEITFUL LUSTS; AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND; AND THAT YE PUT
ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS-Eph
4:22-24. Put off the old thinking and put on new thinking, which is after righteousness
and true holiness. A person needs to be "in Godís Word." In America
and much of the world, peopleís minds are full of thoughts of the world, of
the programs on radio and television, of certain movies, of what is in the newspapers,
but not of Christ. And when the time of testing comes, they easily fall away.
Their foundation (their thinking) is not built on or filled up with Godís Word.
For it is written, LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS-Phili
2:5.The battle, the struggle,
the war, the fight goes on in our thinking.It is also written, LET NO
MAN BEGUILE YOU OF YOUR REWARD IN A VOLUNTARY HUMILITY (do not let anyone beguile
you who delights in false humility) AND WORSHIPING OF ANGELS, INTRUDING INTO
THOSE THINGS WHICH HE HATH NOT SEEN, VAINLY PUFFED UP BY HIS "FLESHLY"
MIND-Col 2:18. This is another illustration of the war that goes on in our mind.
It is between truth and error. Our emotions and feelings are involved. Again,
it needs to be said, Satan is a master at deceiving people.AND THIS I SAY, LEST ANY MAN
SHOULD BEGUILE YOU WITH ENTICING WORDS. BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU THROUGH
PHILOSOPHY AND VAIN DECEIT, AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN, AFTER THE RUDIMENTS
(or basic principles) OF THE WORLD, AND NOT AFTER CHRIST-Col 2:4,8. Again, the
Scriptures are showing us a battle and a war going on in our mind. It is a battle
between the lies of Satan and the truth of Godís Word. These lies enter our
mind directly from the spiritual realm and through others, including clergy.
It is a battle that goes on in our mind, our flesh, and our emotions.FOR WE WRESTLE
(or struggle) NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES (or authorities),
AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL
WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES (or spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms-NIV)-Eph
6:12. There is a war going on in our mind. We wrestle against Satan and his
forces. BELOVED, THINK IT NOT STRANGE CONCERNING THE "FIERY" TRIAL
WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED UNTO YOU-1 Pe 4:12.
BUT CALL TO REMEMBRANCE THE FORMER DAYS, IN WHICH, "AFTER" YE WERE
ILLUMINATED (after you received Christ), YE ENDURED A GREAT "FIGHT"
OF AFFLICTIONS-Heb 10:32.Once you surrender to Jesus,
you are going to have to wrestle against Satanís forces. It is a fiery trial,
and fiery darts will come at you. It will be a great fight, as Satan lies to
your mind. Big knots will come into your stomach. The lusts of the flesh seem
to be on fire. The affairs and cares of this life want to swallow you up. The
pleasures of this life will try to draw you away from God. Riches from Satan
may enter the picture to draw you away from God. Riches are deceitful. You may
become afraid, even ashamed. You may be persecuted, beaten, or thrown into jail
for your faith in Jesus Christ. But hold fast till the end, your most precious
faith. Paul tells us, FOR, WHEN WE WERE COME INTO MACEDONIA, OUR FLESH HAD NO
REST, BUT WE WERE TROUBLED ON EVERY SIDE; WITHOUT WERE FIGHTINGS,
WITHIN WERE FEARS-2 Cor 7:5.Beware, for Satan goes out
to DECEIVE THE NATIONS-Rev 20:8. For, indeed, he DECEIVED THEM-Rev 20:10. The
Scriptures tell us, SATAN, WHICH DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD-Rev 12:9. One way
he does this is in our mind, our thinking.

Yet
despite all we will go through, the seemingly endless struggle in our minds,
we are to BE FULLY PERSUADED in our mind-ref Ro 14:5. We are not to walk as
OTHER GENTILES WALK, IN THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND-Eph 4:17. We are not to be
of a DOUBTFUL MIND-Lk 12:29. For the CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY (or hatred) AGAINST
GOD-Ro 8:7. We are not to be SOON SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE TROUBLED-2 Thes 2:2.
WHEREFORE GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND, BE SOBER, AND HOPE TO THE END FOR
THE GRACE THAT IS TO BE BROUGHT UNTO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST-1
Pe 1:13.

NOT
CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS-2 Cor 10:4

25-WHAT
SHOULD WE DO?

BE
YE TRANSFORMED-Ro 12:2CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS-2
Cor 10:5Bring INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY
THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST-2 Cor 10:5BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED-Ro 8:6PUT OFF...THE OLD MAN-Eph
4:22BE RENEWED IN...YOUR MIND-Eph
4:23PUT ON THE NEW MAN-Eph 4:24Let the mind of Christ be
in you-ref Phili 2:5LET NO MAN BEGUILE YOU-Col
2:18Let no MAN SPOIL YOU-Col 2:8BE FULLY PERSUADED in your
mind-ref Ro 14:5Do not have a DOUBTFUL MIND-Lk
12:29Do not be SOON SHAKEN IN MIND-2
Thes 2:2Do not BE TROUBLED-2 Thes
2:2GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR
MIND-1 Pe 1:13BE SOBER-1 Pe 1:13HOPE TO THE END FOR THE GRACE-1
Pe 1:13

Adultery
is running rampant. Homosexuality continues to increase. Illicit sex is out
of control. Drunkenness, drugs, and wicked things to please the flesh seem to
be what many desire. They are ignorant that Satan is behind these. He prompts
us to sin. Our flesh also lusts after material things. Many people will lie,
cheat, steal, and worse in order to get worldly possessions and money.

The Scripture asks us, WHO DID HINDER YOU
THAT YE SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTH?-Gal 5:7.We are in a war. Will we obey
God? Will we become a servant of righteousness or a servant of sin?

The Bible asks us,
FROM WHENCE COME WARS AND FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU? COME THEY NOT HENCE, EVEN OF
YOUR LUSTS THAT WAR IN YOUR MEMBERS?-Ja 4:1. Note the words, "WAR IN YOUR
MEMBERS" (in your body). DEARLY BELOVED, I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND
PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL-1 Pe 2:11.
FOR THE FLESH LUSTETH AGAINST THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT AGAINST THE FLESH:
AND THESE ARE CONTRARY THE ONE TO THE OTHER-Gal 5:17. There is a war going on
between the lusts of your flesh and your soul. There may be a war going on between
your flesh and mind. There is a war going on between the flesh and the Spirit.
You may determine in your mind not to yield to your fleshly lusts. The fleshly
lusts then war against those thoughts. The inner conflict continues. It is a
spiritual war. It is a battle between doing Godís will and doing Satanís will.

As unbelievers,
WE ALL HAD OUR CONVERSATION IN TIMES PAST IN THE LUSTS OF OUR FLESH, FULFILLING
THE DESIRES OF THE "FLESH" AND OF THE "MIND"-Eph 2:3.

God gives us a warning of judgment.
FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE-Ro 8:13. FOR TO BE CARNALLY (or
worldly) MINDED IS DEATH-Ro 8:6. FOR HE THAT SOWETH TO HIS FLESH SHALL OF THE
FLESH REAP CORRUPTION-Gal 6:8.

So What Should We Do?
WATCH AND PRAY, THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION: THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING,
BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK-Mt 26:41. BUT PUT YE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE
NOT PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFILL THE LUSTS THEREOF-Ro 13:14. For we should
no longer live the rest of our time IN THE FLESH TO THE LUSTS OF MEN, BUT TO
THE WILL OF GOD-1 Pe 4:2. THIS I SAY THEN, WALK IN THE SPIRIT (or in the Word),
AND YE SHALL NOT FULFILL THE LUST OF THE FLESH-Gal 5:16. ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY
LUSTS-1 Pe 2:11. Know this, YE CANNOT DO THE THINGS THAT YE WOULD. YE CANNOT
DO THE THINGS (that you want)-Gal 5:17. Indeed, we should hate EVEN THE GARMENT
SPOTTED BY THE FLESH-Jude 23.

The good news is,
THEY THAT ARE CHRISTíS HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS (or passions)
AND LUSTS-Gal 5:24. The good news is, THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION
TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT
AFTER THE SPIRIT-Ro 8:1. For HE THAT SOWETH TO THE SPIRIT SHALL OF THE SPIRIT
REAP LIFE EVERLASTING-Gal 6:8. FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD,
THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD-Ro 8:14. The Spirit of God will never lead a person
contrary to the Word of God. Many say they are being led of the Spirit, but
they do not obey Godís Word. They are deceived. To be led of the Spirit of God
is to be led by the Word of God. To be led by the Word of God is to "follow
Jesus."

It is written, ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WHEREWITH YE SHALL BE
ABLE TO QUENCH ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED-Eph 6:16. Thoughts trigger
our emotions. Often, we may get big knots in our stomach or mid-section. It
can feel like a big, flaming arrow inside or a fiery dart. You may get ready
to witness to someone about Jesus, and your emotions get tense. Whenever you
are about to do what God wants you to do, you may get fiery darts inside you.
Your emotions can get stirred. You have a thought to give a person a tract.
Your emotions become stirred. Satan uses fiery arrows to try to stop a person
from obeying God. The person that is ignorant of spiritual warfare does not
understand these things, so when they "feel" through a fiery dart
that something is wrong, they go by their emotions rather than Godís Word. Nevertheless,
the shield of faith can quench these fiery arrows.Beware when these knots, these
feelings, these thoughts are not in harmony with the Scriptures. It is Godís
Word that will tell you if your thoughts and feelings are from God or Satan.
A person needs to study Godís Word, so he can discern what is right and wrong.
Examine everything by Godís Word.Paul witnessed to Felix. FELIX
TREMBLED-Acts 24:25. His emotions rose up. He was uptight.Stephen testified of God.
And those that heard him CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, AND STOPPED THEIR EARS-Acts
7:57. Their emotions rose up. They had fiery darts. They were uptight.The unprofitable servant of
God said, I WAS AFRAID-Mt 25:25. He had fiery darts. He was uptight.Jesus said, LET US GO INTO
JUDEA AGAIN. HIS DISCIPLES...said...MASTER, THE JEWS...SOUGHT TO STONE THEE;
AND GOEST THOU THITHER AGAIN? The disciples' emotions rose up. They had fiery
darts. They were uptight. Thomas said, LET US ALSO GO, THAT WE MAY DIE WITH
HIM-Jn 11:7,8,16. His emotions rose up. He had fiery darts. He was uptight.The fiery darts hindered Felix,
those that heard Stephen, and the unprofitable servant.The disciples also had fiery
darts and were afraid, but they did not turn back.Thomas also, it appears, had
fiery darts and was afraid, but he did not turn back.Obey Godís Word, not your
emotions. For often your emotions will run contrary to Godís Word. Wrong thinking
can prompt your emotions to be in disagreement with the Word of God.

29-THERE
WAS WAR IN HEAVEN

Remember,
as followers of Jesus, we are called soldiers. We are in a war here on the earth.There is also war in heaven.
During the Tribulation, it is written, AND THERE WAS WAR IN HEAVEN: MICHAEL
AND HIS ANGELS FOUGHT AGAINST THE DRAGON; AND THE DRAGON (Satan) FOUGHT AND
HIS ANGELS-Rev 12:7.The Scriptures have shown
us a war going on between God and Satan. It is a war between light and darkness.
It is a war between spirituality and carnality. It is a war between truth and
error. This war takes place in the heavens and inside you.During the Tribulation, it
is written, AND IT WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM (the beast or Antichrist) TO MAKE WAR
WITH THE SAINTS-Rev 13:7. And THESE (the beast, who is called Antichrist, and
the ten kings of the Tribulation period) SHALL MAKE WAR WITH THE LAMB (Jesus),
AND THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM-Rev 17:14. HE (the Antichrist) SHALL ALSO STAND
UP AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES (Jesus); BUT HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT HAND-Dan
8:25.

There is a battle, a war-Ro 7:23; a struggle, a wrestling match-Eph 6:12; a
fiery trial-1 Pe 4:12; a fight-1 Tim 6:12; being fought inside you. It is between
Satanís deceptions and Godís truth (the Bible). It is a battle of victory to
those who read and obey the Bible, and of defeat to those who do not. This battle
rages in your mind-Ro 7:23, your flesh-1 Pe 2:11, and your feelings-Eph 6:16.
At times, you may feel like two ropes are pulling you apart. You get uptight
(darts in your stomach)-Eph 6:16. Jesus wants you to follow Him. Satan wants
you to refuse. It is a war between obeying God and doing your own desires. Your
soul is at stake. You are either in the battle on the Lordís side or on Satanís
side. It is a conflict between truth and error, between the true God and the
god of this world (Satan). It is between the Word of God, and half truths, error,
and wrong thinking. It is between sound doctrine and doctrines that suit your
own desires-ref 2 Tim 4:3. Satan puts wrong thoughts in your mind like he did
to Peter and to Eve. If you wish to draw closer to God, he will try to stop
you. He will try to keep you from reading your Bible, going to church, fellowshipping
only with other believers, Bible studies, praying and fasting, serving God,
and obeying the Gospel. Some of Satanís weapons include: worry, cares of this
world, pleasures, lusts of your flesh, depression, hardships, fear, and riches.
These choke Godís Word. Satan uses people and clergy to persecute, embarrass,
and deceive others. Pride, sex outside of marriage, loving this world, watching
wickedness on TV, rock music, stubbornness, smoking, drugs, alcohol, astrology,
pornography, and attending spiritually dead churches (which mix the Bible with
deceit) need to be forsaken. If your job causes you to disobey God, cut it off.
People provoke God to anger through the work of their hands (their job)-Deut
31:29. It is written, WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU, THAT YE SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTH?-Gal
3:1. HOW LONG HALT YE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? IF THE LORD BE GOD, FOLLOW HIM:
BUT IF BAAL, THEN FOLLOW HIM-1 Ki 18:21. Jesus makes it clear who are His. HE
THAT HATH MY COMMANDMENTS, AND KEEPETH THEM, "HE" IT IS THAT LOVETH
ME-Jn 14:21. Which voice do you follow, Godís voice or Satanís voice? Godís
SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE; they FOLLOW HIM-Jn 10:3,4.There is a war going on for
your soul. There is a war going on for the souls of many. As it is written,
God is NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE-2
Pe 3:9. It is a spiritual battle. You need to be prepared. You need to read
the Bible, meditate in the Word, study the Word, and rightly divide the Word.
You need to put away the things of this world and learn how to fight Satan,
lest you fall. It is written, THE LORD SAID UNTO SATAN, WHENCE COMETH THOU?
THEN SATAN ANSWERED THE LORD, AND SAID, FROM GOING TO AND FRO IN THE EARTH,
AND FROM WALKING UP AND DOWN IN IT-Job 1:7. Why does he do this? BECAUSE YOUR
ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR-1
Pe 5:8. Satan is looking for someone to devour. Satan is an expert at his job.
He is well prepared. He has thousands of years of practice in causing people
to fall. He knows how to do his job and does it well. He has a vast arsenal
of worldly weapons, a huge following, and much practice. He wants to devour
you, sift you as wheat, cause you to be an unprofitable servant, cause you to
fall, and cause you to come over to his side. He seeks to cause you to return
to sin, to become stubborn and rebellious toward God, and follow his will. He
seeks to cause you to forsake God.

Godís advice to us is,
WHOM RESIST STEADFAST IN THE FAITH, KNOWING THAT THE SAME AFFLICTIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED
IN YOUR BRETHREN THAT ARE IN THE WORLD-1 Pe 5:9. SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE
TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU-Ja 4:7. COME NEAR TO GOD
AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU. WASH YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS, AND PURIFY YOUR
HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED. GRIEVE, MOURN AND WAIL. CHANGE YOUR LAUGHTER TO MOURNING
AND YOUR JOY TO GLOOM. HUMBLE YOURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU
UP-Ja 4:8-10 NIV.Fight a good warfare. FIGHT
THE GOOD "FIGHT" OF FAITH-1 Tim 6:12. I THEREFORE SO RUN, NOT AS UNCERTAINLY;
SO FIGHT I, NOT AS ONE THAT BEATETH THE AIR: BUT I KEEP UNDER MY BODY, AND BRING
IT INTO SUBJECTION: LEST THAT BY ANY MEANS, WHEN I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS,
I MYSELF SHOULD BE A CASTAWAY-1 Cor 9:26,27.As a follower of Jesus Christ,
you have been chosen to be a soldier in a war against Satan and his forces.
It is a bitter conflict. Satan will do all he can to discredit you, to hinder
you, to buffet you, to persecute you, to deceive you, to tempt you, to snare
you, to beguile you, to oppress you, to provoke you, to bring sickness on you,
to embarrass you, to make you ashamed, and to make you afraid. Satan will try
to entangle you with lusts, pleasures, and the cares of this world. He may use
the deceitfulness of riches against you. Satan can give you false dreams. He
can try to cause you to develop pride, to become stubborn, to become rebellious,
and to despise correction. Satan can be expected to send all types of his forces
against you to try to stop you.But remember, GREATER IS HE
THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD-1 Jn 4:4. AND THIS IS THE VICTORY
THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH-1 Jn 5:4.And, ultimately, God wants
you to be able to say, I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE,
I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH-2 Tim 4:7. Let us press on in the battle, so we may hear
the words of Jesus, saying, WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT: THOU
HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS:
ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF "THY" LORD-Mt 25:21.

32-WHAT
IS TRUTH?

Jesus
said, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER,
BUT BY ME-Jn 14:6.It is not the Bible plus someoneís
writings.It is not the Bible plus another
gospel.It is not the Bible plus the
traditions of a church or people.It is not the Bible plus the
traditions of a denomination.It is not the Bible plus someoneís
interpretation.It is not the Bible plus what
man says.It is not the Bible plus dreams,
visions, or prophecies.It is not parts of the Bible,
but the entire Bible of sixty-six books.The Bible stands alone. The
Bible is the Authority by which all things are to be judged. This is
"truth."